The Ninth Gate (1999): Who Murdered Bernie?
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- Опубліковано 5 вер 2024
- Who murdered Bernie (known as Bernie Feldman in the script) inside his bookshop? This video examines some theories with number of possible suspects.
The Ninth Gate (1999) was co-written, produced, and directed by Roman Polanski and starred Johnny Depp as Dean Corso. Bernie was played by James Russo. The film is loosely based upon Arturo Pérez-Reverte's 1993 novel The Club Dumas.
Disclaimer: This is an analysis that explores the many concepts of filmmaking for the purposes of study, research, and commentary created under the allowances of "fair use".
In the movie Corso names his friend as "Bernie Ornstein". Because I relied on clues from the script, I used the script name of "Feldman" in this video.
Liana killed him. He was hung according to the AT engraving in Balkins copy, not the LCF engraving. Liana would have only known this version. Balkin strangled all his victims, and did not yet know about the "differences" in each copy and had no reason to take the book back.
Sound logic
No it was Balkan that's why nothing was searched bc he don't need his own book back but wanted Corso to seach quicker and fly over to europe quickly. 💯
@@yvonneanitakramer7536 Balkin didn't ceremoniously kill any of his victims. The ceremony was what Liana believed in. Balkin thought it was "mumbo jumbo". And killing Bernie would not get Corso to leave sooner. His ticket already had a departure date. And Liana wanted the book back.
he took the engravings out of the books before he destroyed them which is unthinkable for someone that covets them
Liana can't be... she would def find Satan book's hidden place
It would seem to me that Balkin would have no reason to kill Bernie. Corso didn't inform him that Bernie was holding the book so what motive would he have had? Also, when Corso telephoned Balkin after discovering the murder, Balken had to double check the identity of who Corso was talking about. Bruno seems a more likely suspect as he was following Corso. It's possible he was trying to get information out of Bernie. That would explain the fact that the store wasn't ransacked as he would not have known the book was left there. Another factor to consider about Bruno is his relationship with Liana. I see him as more of a boy toy then bodyguard. He's not that physically imposing, coupled with the fact that Liana was a hot younger lady that married an old man for his money.
I'm not sure, because the book was never stolen and Bernie makes a statement that makes it clear he'd give up his friend's book in a heartbeat to save his life. Yet curiously, he's dead and the book isn't taken. Whoever killed Bernie did so maliciously, and wasn't after the book. The 2nd fact alone suggests Balkan.
Obviously Liana murdered Bernie, but she had help from her bodyguard/boy toy. She didn't have the strength to lift Bernie's body in such a manner, but someone had to help her.
I think the blonde girl killed him:
- to ritual achievement
- to induce Corso travel in Europe with fear
- she was around the street when Corso left the book to Bernie
- she didn't stole the book to help Corso with the final ritual, in opposition to Liana who claimed and craved it all the time
Thats a clever conclusion. That Bruno thug also followed Corso to Bernies. Blonde couldve killed Bernie so he would not tell where's the book hidden.
She didn't want Bernie to be in possession of the book as it is one of the keys to the ninth gate and so Corso retrieves it.
The cab driver did it. Balkan probably said to get rid of Bernie! The cabby says, "no problem sir"
That's funny! Wait, did the Taxi read "Balkan Transportation" at the bottom of the door?
@@CineG Lmao if it did I never noticed it!!!
excellent mate
Ya noticed the second "no problem sir" of the movie, the taxi driver didn't move his lips saying it ?
Hahahah
Great video.
You should do some videos on Eyes Wide Shut next.
Agreed, another great occult and secret society movie
Boris killed him . He killed the Baroness and Fargas as well. He paid for Corso's loyalty and for something potentially illegal. Corso told all three of them what he was doing and who he was working for so they had to die. . He followed Corso as well. There's no way he's going to let that book get too far away. He knows that Corso ultimately can't be trusted completely. "Silence is Golden". They both literally talked about that before making the deal. And what is one of the first things Corso did.? He not only told Bernie, he gave him the book too. Bernie, as a dealer was very aware of who Balkan was. Other than possibly Green Eyes, Bernie most certainly wouldn't open the door for anyone else after hours. He'd recognize Balkan and would definitely be willing to let him in . Balkan represents potential money to Bernie. In Boris's mind, he's playing the game and the prize belongs to him and him alone. All he needed was the correct engravings. Green Eyes was observing to see who played the game correctly. Balkan and Corso killed and gave up everything for the game. Corso couldn't go back to New York because of Bernie. He would 've absolutely been the number one suspect in Bernie's murder. Corso 's finger prints were all over the store. The cab driver drove Corso there and to the airport and certainly would have testified to that . And Corso didn't report the murder, he left the country immediately. Balkan killed AND was willing to sacrifice himself. Green Eyes knew everyone else involved either didn't believe or used the book incorrectly ie Kesler, Fargas, Leona Telfer, her boyfriend and the rest of the sect. They all knew too much anyway and it didn't matter if they were killed. "He's dead now. Who cares?" , referring to Fargas. She helped both Corso and Balkan. Another strike against Balkan is that he broke the first rule as well. He told Corso. Had he done the actual foot work himself, instead of hiring Corso, he might've succeeded. Green Eyes revealed the secret of the last engraving to Corso. Had Corso not been involved, the prize probably would have been offered to Balkan. In the end , Balkan's ego and arrogance and his unwillingness to do the menial tasks and take short cuts by hiring Corso cost him his life and the prize. My two cents...
I wrote all of that before I even watched the video.
Why was the Vargas copy tossed into the fire, and the Baroness Kessler copy was also left in the flames? If Balkan was indeed who hit Corso over the head in the library, why not just leave with the book? Same with the Vargas copy. So Balkan was impatient once he knew there were discrepancies to the illustrations between each of the books, and was eager to assemble all nine of the correct ones. What an excellent movie.
Love the movie
@sultan whomever Yes, I was aware of the "LCF", not sure why I said that. Thanks for the response though.
" You have killed for those engravings they are worth more then money" and Balkan dosen't denying killing.
Well, how could he? A whole lot of people watched him strangle the Telfer lady with her own necklace.
He strangled AT LEAST Fargas Kessler Telfer !
It was Leana's boyfriend. watch the first set of legs at the window
yep
did you not watch the video, he pointed that out and then gave his reasoning on why he doenst think thats the best on the list.
What if Balkin always knew of the riddle(s) of what the engravings represented? That each engraving represented a physical plane that had to be completed in order to get to the 9th gate? Using Corso as his stooge to complete each gate, but not fully understanding by do so it would eliminate him (Balkin) from being able to complete the journey. Even though Bruno seems like the obvious choice to have killed Bernie, I always felt that he was a red herring and that Balkin was the actual murderer for all people being at all gates with the exception of the Ceniza Bros. one and the final Whore of Babylon one. (Who knows? Maybe the reason why the Ceniza Bros. disappeared was that Balkin "Paid them a visit" after Corso did?) My question is, once Corso completed the 9th engraving by having the Whore ride the Beast (Where Corso is the Beast), did he even have to go back to the Ceniza Bros to find the page? Or could he have just gotten up (from his encounter with the Whore) and just walked through the gate? To me, the engravings were just more of an instruction set that needed to be completed, in a specific order and could be done without actually having the engravings in hand. The knowledge was the most important thing to complete the journey even though Corso didn't even realize that he was on the journey until later in the film.
Also, I have never felt that Bruno was a bodyguard to Liana Telfer. I looked at him as her simp lover that would anything to make her happy. Corso, who was not a physically threatening person. but was able to hold off Bruno from stealing the book in France and threw him down the stairs at the chateau. I have always doubted that Bruno physically could have taken out Bernie and then strung him upside down. (Like in the engraving) Balkin had both the strength to kill and hang Bernie and the knowledge of the engraving in the book to do so that way. Liana and Bruno would have no way to know that the book was hidden at Bernie's shop. They only knew that it wasn't in Corso's apartment. If Bruno had killed Bernie that would also mean that he and Liana thought the book was hidden there and the book shop was not torn up like Corso's apartment.
Also, only Corso climbed the stairway to retrieve the book completing the requirements of the gate which seems to me that Balkin knew all along and was the true killer of everyone in the movie. For all we know he was the reason why Liliana Telfer's husband found out what she was doing with the book and told him in an effort to acquire and purchase it as well? Which ultimately led to him hanging himself. Or, we are led to believe that Telfer killed himself when Balkin actually did?
Very, very good explanation! Well written too, thank you! Was look for an answer and yours satisfied me, I didn't even finish the video
I don’t believe it was Liana and her bodyguard. Bernie said he wouldn’t screw Dean unless money is involved. Jokingly, huh? You think he wouldn’t make a deal with Liana if she wanted to buy the book from him (maybe tell him that he could stage a robbery like she told Corso). Okay even if Bruno shows up to the workshop and kills Bernie because he wouldn’t tell him where the book is, since he’s such a loyal friend, why haven’t he searched the place then? Look what he did to Corso’s apartment. Everything was all over the place. But the book store wasn’t touched. Like what’s the point of killing him then if he was gonna leave right away? To send Corso a message? And would he care enough to make him hang the same way the man on one of the illustrations was hanging? Naaa it’s Balkan or The Girl.
the girl kilked him to keep him quiet about the book, she chased away Liana's associate
I always assumed Bernie may have accidentally killed himself after trying to reenact one of the engravings in the book. It is one of the first things he sees in the book after Dean gives him the book for safe keeping. His shop wasn't torn apart as if someone was searching for something.
there's blood on his face in a pattern that cannot be explained by the situation you presented.
@@pupper5580 agreed, to me it seems like that would happen from hanging the way he was weather it was he or someone else whom did it. It's probably one of those scenarios that's left up to the viewer.
@@schools6555 this is a very hard mystery to solve.
I would say it was Bruno. Bruno looked for the book but didn't find it - Bruno's method for searching doesn't involve leaving a huge mess.
If Telfer was there, she would have left a huge mess.
It wasn't the girl, because Bernie's face was mashed up - I don't see The Girl punching him in the face too much (because girl punches don't do much damage to grown men, just a waste of time really).
It wasn't Balkan because Balkan has some sort of fetish for strangling his victims, besides, he doesn't seem to have a lust for killing - since he didn't take out Corso at the castle. Balkan didn't really have a motive for killing Bernie as far as I'm concerned.
These are my guesses. Not saying I'm correct with my assessment.
@@schools6555 I forgot to take into account the position of Bruno and how it affects the whole deal. This changes the whole dynamic I laid out above.
This takes out the possibility of it having been Bruno or Tefler. Or at least it takes out the possibility of Bruno having done it alone, Tefler must have been there with him if they did it. But I don't think Tefler had a motivation to put him into that position, since Tefler used the book as a prop in his parties, she didn't know what else to do with it.
This leaves us with Balkan or The Girl. Perhaps it was the Girl - wanting to leave a warning for Corso. The Girl didn't seem to have a problem with such things, since she let Balkan take care of Tefler as a means to an end (letting Corso off the hook).
Edit: also this was interesting:
Corso (to The Girl): Someone's playing a game with me
The Girl: Of course, you're a part of it.
The Girl: And you're getting to like it.
I feel like here's The Girl's motive for Bernie: to show to Corso that he was now part of the game.
Edit end.
Again, I don't know why Balkan would have done it. Perhaps to complete a ritual connected to the pictures or something? To understand Balkan's motives, we need to analyse the 9 gates ritual and how Balkan viewed it. But really, why would he have done that to Bernie in such a public place, he could have done it with a more suitable victim.
So right now I would be leaning more towards The Girl. What a rollercoaster this analysis is, just impossible to tell.
Edit: One interesting perspective is that The Girl is working for Balkan (but also for herself) - she is the one telling Balkan about Corso's whereabouts. It could be that it was her who did Balkan's dirty work.
When Corso asked what happened to Vargas, she said he caught someone stealing. Then Kessler: someone managed to sneak up on both Kessler and Corso. I don't think a big boy like Balkan is sneaky enough for these feats, and it doesn't fit his personality. But The Girl seems like she has the personality for being a cat burglar, as well as someone who is able to sneak up on two people in short succession (light weight, light feet - ability to even levitate).
So it could be that The Girl was behind all the off screen events.
It was Balkan that's why nothing was searched bc he don't need his own book back but wanted Corso to seach quicker and fly over to europe asap bc he's now a suspect too.
Whoever killed Bernie, it was a fan of the book. Deadly serious about its power. Which eliminates Vargas. Liana never took her 'quest' further than orgies and readings/ costume parties, Balkan despised her for that, the room was not in the mess. Which leaves maniac Balkan - and the girl, but Bernie was not *in the game*, would she be interested in him? Rather, she arrived late/watched the murder *as an observer*, and then kept her watch near the office, protecting the book, not the people involved. Bernie was doomed to die, she let him die.
the girl arrived after Liana, chased away her assassin and pre emptivly killed Bernie before he could give up the Book
I always thought it was Balkan. The engravings are in The Club Dumas. But in the film some faces were replaced with the actor's faces.
But what motive does Balkan have to kill Bernie? Other than him possibly wanting to eliminate anyone st all whose aware of this mystery? Maybe he even planned to kill Corso when all was said and done? Hmm.... I don’t know. My money would’ve been on Liana and Bruno but like you said , nothing was searched ? This movie is so fucking rad.
Yeah I see your point, seeing the book was Balkan's to begin with. Has to have something to do with the ritualistic style he was killed, hence it mimicking the picture in the book. It really makes me wonder if it was Green eyes who killed him. After all, you saw her shoes in the window earlier in the movie. Plus she's the one who aided Corso so he could open the gate, perhaps she was doing the same thing for Balkan? Not caring who opened it as long as they fulfilled every dark prophecy so to speak.
@@Ironwind1972 yes it could definitely be Green eyes. We know she was there , and his death definitely manifests one of the nine engravings so it could be to set something in motion. The only thing I disagree w you on is that she didn’t care whether it was Balkan or Corso. I think it was always supposed to be Corso to open the Nine Gates. Although personally, if I were her, I would’ve chosen Balkan lol I love Frank Langella and he makes his character so damm compelling.
@@luxbrumalis823 He played the part well, that's for sure. IF she did do the killings, then why did she give the pages to Balkan? She also told Corso to let Balkan kill Liana Telfer to fulfil one of the rituals. Then later, she tells Corso " I didn't think you had it in you" when he killed Bruno. As if she didn't think he could commit all the sins it took to open the gate, implying that Balkan could....
@@luxbrumalis823 Even Corso accused her of working for Balkan at one point, so there has to be something to her relationship with him.
@@Ironwind1972when did she give the pages to Balkan? I saw her role as guiding Corso through to his inevitable destiny. I think she was allowing Balkans hubris to lead him down the inevitable path that would bring him to that tower on that particular night so that Corso could , having witnessed Balkan’s disastrously failed ritual, take the pages for himself. Course this is just how I took it but I totally see what you mean about it looking pretty suspish for Green Eyes to possibly be tied to Balkan. I’m legit watching the movie again tonight to see if I missed anything. Hadn’t seen it in years and I happened to catch it the other day and I’m obsessed all over again.
the engraving is also very similar to the hanged man tarot card which means sacrifice or surrender
also exactly like the sad photo of the white-coated Windows on the World employee forced to jump from the WTC 20 years ago
@@DAGDRUM53 can you link it? not sure what you mean by white coated windows
@@hurpaderpp Apologies for the confusion. Windows on the World was the restaurant on the top floor of the WTC.
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Falling_Man
@@DAGDRUM53 ohhh very interesting. its like a combination of the tower and the hanged man.
@@hurpaderpp There's a video on Odysee, The Ninth Gate and 9/11. Towers, struck from above, twins. And the photo of the falling man.
The tarot of the hang man represents a sacrifice on behalf of another due to responsibility for ones choices and accepting things as they are. For some reason the green eyed girl saw the public killing of lena as a way to clear Corso of the murders. Why would it clear him? I am not sure if she knew something about the murders, was she inferring he was the murderer of them all? The only problem is that his choice in murder was strangling, lena's character went for attacking the face. Also, it is clear her consort was outside the building and later attempted to murder Corso. The girl saved him on more than one occasion and appeared to have knowledge about all the books, so she was not motivated to directly murder. She was simply a tool to complete a ritual to serve the one that created the books. She gave the final clues directly to Corso, not the man who hired him. When she said "I didn't know you had it in you", when he killed lena's consort in self defense, she knew Corso was not a killer for gain. Perhaps this made him more worthy in the end to her.
I don't think she stopped Corso to save him from being accused of murder, I think she was letting Balkan commit the murder to fulfil some of the sin that is required to open the gate. And that's why she said "I didn't know you had it in you" to Corso, because she didn't think he could commit murder to fulfill that aspect of the ritual/prophecy to open the gate.
@@Ironwind1972 Interesting thought. I don't understand why she had to say it would infer less blame on Corso. Is that the only thing she could say to stop Corso from stepping in to save Lena? Was she preventing Balkan from murdering him as well? It is the interpretation of the reader based on the subject presented. Only the writer knew. One could argue why Balkan could not do the work Corso did other than the fact the other characters knew his reputation and would not allow the information so he had to create a liaison.
@@jmallett6081 I think she just wanted the gate opened by anyone and any means necessary. At the time she thought Balkan was the best candidate, but later found out he wasn't. That or she wanted Balkan to fail. I'm not really sure which, the script is unclear. But her ultimate goal was to fulfil the sins that were required to open the gate. We can all agree on that I think.
@@Ironwind1972 Seems a logical conclusion.
Corso is likely the leading suspect for the woman in the wheelchair, because of the circumstances - he also was the only person to see all of the victims within hours or days of them being killed. He is the first suspect - but a bunch of people seeing that other guy do it and the fact he hired and was following corso around means corso would no longer be the prime suspect.
I believe it was the girl in the white shoes that follows him, my reason for this theory is if the blonde guy beat him up he might have given it away so he wasn't killed, so to safe guard the book from getting into the hands of the telfer women she killed Bernie she also has the strength to hang him by his ankle and for Balkin I don't believe it's him because that would mean he was having Corso followed or following him himself and I just don't see that happening plus the book store wasn't ransacked so no one was looking for something he was just killed and hung upside-down and in a position that is in the book. That's why I believe it was the girl in the white shoes.
It was Balkan as he was annoyed that Corso trusted his book with Bernie.
I think you're right about Balkan killing Bernie. He also killed Fargas, hence the page being ripped out of his copy and Balkan having it at the castle. I'd like to know what the Indian cab driver has to do with everything. There are a few long pauses and shots putting emphasis on him and/or his cab. Not to mention the pause Corso takes before he gets in the cab after he discovered Bernies body.
Cab driver could be one of Balkans spies? Feeding him info on Corso’s whereabouts?
@@luxbrumalis823 Hmm maybe, I wish they would have an extended cut or something. I feel like there was some footage edited out that would fill in some of the gaps.
@@Ironwind1972 I’ve always wondered about the cab driver too
@@matthewgabbard6415 Me as well. The camera pans to him, I doubt it was for no reason.
What motive would Balkan have for killing Bernie?
The highest in the order wear a cloak of red, the girl stole a car, she was in a RED car. Demon.
Roman Polanski killed Bernie. Yes, I'm being a bit cheeky, but bear with me. Spoilers for the book, but "Bernie" in the book is named Boris Balkan. He is the narrator of the book and the leader of the Club Dumas and is only trying to retrieve an original chapter of the Three Musketeers. Because Polanski left that part of the book out, this character became unnecessary once Dean Corso's occupation is established. However, if he was still alive, people watching the movie would wonder why Dean doesn't call him for help later on. Plus, it amps up the spookiness of the movie to just have him dead in a weird way.
The name of the movie's Boris Balkan is named Varo Borja in the book. Of the two, Boris Balkan is a much better name so I don't blame him for picking it.
Surely he chucked himself thinking an not knowing.
I'll always believe it was Bruno who killed Bernie. (which, I never even knew his name until watching these videos) But my reasoning is for something I've observed in other films, which is the psychology of the audience-
Audiences don't like to see characters being killed in a movie, UNLESS they've done something to deserve it, at least in their eyes. (There's a deleted scene from Back to the Future 3, where Biff Tannen kills Marshall Strickland. It was cut out because "he deserved to die for that", as explained by Bob Gale, the writer for all 3 films. In the 1998 remake of Psycho, Marion is established as a very detestable character, and she's ultimately killed off. Even Arbogast is a major dick, and then he gets killed after that)
So it's easier for audiences to accept that the bad guys get what's coming to them, and of course, Bruno is killed later on in the film. (It's actually quite comical, beating the guy to death with a shoe? But I'm sure that was by design of Polanski, since their entire interaction in the movie is somewhat comical itself, much like an old gag/chase in the old silent-era films)
Then you have a reason to want to see Telfer and her bodyguard go down. (They killed the one likeable ally to the protagonist, who didn't do anything wrong but help. Their hands are just as dirty as Balkan's, so...) Otherwise, all they did wrong was steal the book and have sex. (not really a justifiable reasons to kill a character off)
I also don't think Balkan would've had anything to gain by killing the guy who stashed the book for safekeeping. (After all, it did work, it kept Telfer from finding it) Just the way he compliments Corso later for not carrying the book around with him. He does have faith in Corso, and his cunning.
Even if he's supposed to be unhappy with him in the script, I think they changed that for the film, making Balkan more of a scoundrel by setting up Corso, making him do the hard work, risking his neck, and ultimately taking the fall for everything. Hence that smile he gives after Corso's being a dick to him in the elevator. As if to say, "I'm gonna enjoy fucking him over..."
Who's the smoker in the movie? Through the basement window is possible to see someone step on a cigarette butt after Corso left for the first time....
Surely the script is primarily written for the film. Theyre not the same but the former is an aid or stage or point on the way to latter.
Corso was the killer
Fantastic 👏
Lianas bodyguard did. Balkan killed the other book owners
At one point I wondered if he did it to himself but that seems strange.
What’s up with Roman Polanski? Dude is 5 ft tall … difficult to understand his words.. yet bags the hottest babes .. green eyes and Tate ??
"I can make you a star, I'll put you in all my movies." Works like magic.
Yeah, to top it off he was charged with underage rape n convicted of a lesser sentence yet married his wife when she was 23 and he was 56 🎉
I always assumed it was the tolkia widow's sisqo looking silver haired tough
Do we think the girl killed Fargas and Kessler, took the engravings and burned the books, to pave the way for Corso to solve the riddle and fulfill the prophecy? Did Liana even have all the engravings at the coven meeting? She only had Balkan's engravings, no? I have to watch this a second time I think.
Did Liana even know her engravings weren’t all correct?
Leana and her body guard, you see him walk by the window
Probably Bruno. Telford Lady sending a message and is getting desperate.
In the book they dont murder him
My money's on Bruno.
agreed
I think the demon girl did all killings to lure Corso into searching deeper.
I'm starting to wonder that myself, but the thing is...every page that was torn out of each book was in Balkan's possession in the end. If she did kill the, then she was playing Corso against Balkan and leading them both to the "prize" so to speak.
I did !!!!!!!!!!
Slightly pointless video to me, if you apply basic logic and pay attention to the scenes it was clearly implied that it was Liana and her accomplice, it's not rocket science.
Why didn't they destroy the place while searching for the book? Something more sinister was happening that evening.
I love this film. Enough that I've watched it more than several times. I have also read the original novel, which, I believe, is...if not superior to the novel, the film makes up for it. Speaking of detectives for things unseen, etc., the 'hard-boiled' type of thing here in this story is a fascinating thing. A supernatural detective. Dean Corso is not a good guy. He is not a good human being. He's the exact opposite of everything that normal people respect and hold dear. He's an opportunist. In the absolute worst sense. Yet, one may find themselves cheering him along; knowing that he's just as bad as those for whom he works and gets paid. Brilliant and fun novel. I implore you to read it. It's not too long; something like 300 pages...? I don't remember. However, if you're seeking another kind of supernatural, hard-boiled, detective type thing, please consider "ANGEL HEART" -- Mickey Rourke (before he messed up his face w/elective surgeries), is the [unreliable witness] to the carnage, after accepting a job from this guy, Lou Cyphre, which, for the overachievers out there, is a bit of an anagram for Lucifer...let the fun begin!! Excellent excellent film.
Nice work on this deep dive, sir. Outstanding work.